According to the latest numbers declared by the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur), Germany’s solar PV installations in March 2021 totaled 548.6 MW.

In a quarter-over-quarter comparison, the installations in March marked an increase of 201 MW (57.8%) from the 348 MW installed in February 2021. In a year-over-year comparison, Germany had installed 362 MW in March 2020, an increase of 51% compared to the same period last year.

The cumulative solar power capacity in Germany at the end of March 2021 reached 55 GW.

The country installed a total capacity of 3.3 GW in 2013, 1.9 GW in 2014, 1.5 GW in 2015, 1.52 GW in 2016, and 1.75 GW in 2017. Total solar installations in 2018 and 2019 reached 3 GW and 4.03 GW, respectively.

Germany installed 4.8 GW of solar capacity in 2020, a 21% year-over-year increase compared to 4.03 GW in 2019.

In November 2020, solar bids won the full capacity in a 202 MW wind and solar auction in Germany. The tender was oversubscribed by 518 MW, while there was not a single bid for wind projects. As per the released document, the federal network agency awarded 43 bids with a total capacity of 202 MW.

Earlier, the country’s Federal Cabinet approved the amendments to the Renewable Energy Sources Act, intending to achieve its goal to expand renewable energy up to 65% by 2030. The government’s renewable expansion path by 2030 will be included in the law aimed to achieve its targets by 2030.

Through these amendments, Germany would now target annual solar tenders of nearly 1.9 to 2 GW capacity, onshore wind between 2.9 and 5.8 GW, along with almost 500 MW of biomass energy. The government plans to enhance its cumulative solar capacity from the current 52 GW to 83 GW in 2026 and 100 GW in 2030. The country is also expected to expand the cumulative capacity for onshore wind projects from the current 54 GW to 65 GW in 2026 and 71 GW in 2030.

Rahul is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Before entering the world of renewables, Rahul was head of the Gujarat bureau for The Quint. He has also worked for DNA Ahmedabad and Ahmedabad Mirror. Hailing from a banking and finance background, Rahul has also worked for JP Morgan Chase and State Bank of India. More articles from Rahul Nair.